Monday, December 14, 2009

Months ago, I posted about my soda recipe to break my husband's soda addiction. Since then, we have bought water kefir grains. Water kefir grains are small masses of bacteria and yeast that ferment sugars. Although we call our kefir Therese, she is actually a community of many organisms.

When we first got Therese we had to rehydrate her in sugar water for a few days, then she was ready to get to work. Every day or two, Dan pours out the fizzy fermented sugar water. He then fills her jar back up with water and feeds her a few more tablespoons of sugar.

The sugar water she has fermented he then turns into a soda-like beverage. For something like sprite, he adds some lemon juice and lime juice. For cream soda, he just adds vanilla. For a cola-like beverage, he adds vanilla, cinnamon and lime juice.

You can also make fruit sodas by allowing the kefir to ferment juice instead of sugar water. There's a free eBook with kefir recipes from Cultures for Health. It has mostly milk kefir recipes, but it has some water kefir recipes toward the end that use fruit juice.

When I found the free eBook, I excitedly told my husband about all the kefir recipes: lemonade kefir and cherry kefir and grape kefir. He asked, "Did they have Mountain Dew kefir, or Dr. Pepper kefir?" No, they didn't, but if anyone has any suggestions on how I can make our kefir taste something like Mountain Dew, that would make my husband very happy, and in turn make me happy, too.

Kefir is not only a nourishing soda alternative, it is a money saver. We paid about $20 for our kefir grains from Amazon, but as long as we keep feeding them, the community will not die. The sugar we feed them costs less than the tonic water we used to use for Dan's soda. Pets generally are not frugal, but there are useful pets, like our kefir, Therese, who save us money.

Hi emily, I was just reading back through your archives and I noticed you thought you don't have eye or dental care. If you have MaineCare, you do! Have a look in your MaineCare booklet and it tells you so.

I am also wondering why you accept the EIC cash handout from the governement, but not foodstamps? We fund those programs to support children and families who need help paying for food, heat, transport, clothes, etc. They're there as a community service for your children, why will you use one but not the others?

I have those same grains sitting in my kitchen that I need to rehydrate! I finally got kombucha down, and my husband loves it as a soda replacement. So I haven't had an urgency to delve into water kefir. I need to get to it though, the grains are supposed to be rehydrated by January 2010.

Emily, I bought some kefir one time and found it to be absolutely gross! I am always looking for something that will keep me from getting sinus infections. Right now I am drinking soy milk, and I like that.

Thanks for posting the Stevia fudege recipe. My dad just found out he is borderline diabetic, so I am going to make him some for Christmas.

To answer Justine's question, you can not "refuse" the EIC. When you file your taxes, they give it to you. You can't just say "no thanks".

We get the EIC because although we are married in MA, the federal government doesn't recognize it and treats us like single parents. They give us the EIC and we can't refuse it. To take it back or to not give it to us would admit that our marriage is federally legal.

It's stupid, but if the federal government doesn't want to recognize our marriage then it's their own fault for treating us like single parents.

Because we are two women. And yes we have a perfectly legal marriage license which our state, several others, and several countries recognize. And our children are each legally ours via birth certificates in all fifty states because a birth certificate is legal documentation of parentage no matter where you are. States can not refuse to recognize them, just marriage licenses.

But the federal goverment treats us like single parents with the EIC. And until they recognize our marriage, they'll keep giving it to us. We've asked about it many times and they will not remove it because to do so would acknowledge that we are in fact, fully married in the eyes of the fed.

I guess it's offset by all of the extra taxes we pay on health insurance. The fed taxes my portion as income. So it comes out as a wash in the end.

Emily,I've never heard of water kefir before just the dairy kind. Has the water kefir ever been exposed to dairy when you get it? Three of my kids are allergic to dairy so I've never done kefir but have been interested due to the health benefits. Thanks! Rebecca

Rebecca, Cultures for Health (the brand I bought) call the water kefir "a dairy-free alternative." This is what their FAQ page says, answering a question about if they're good for people with dairy allergies, "Yes! WKG contains no dairy (please note: WKG are processed in a facility where dairy products are processed)."

Yes, I guess I'll ignore my auditors and trust some random anonymous internet person instead. You must know way more about gay families, about the IRS, about the EIC, and about audits than I do. If life were so simple as a blurb of text on the IRS website, none of us would complain about taxes.

PS. My father is my accountant. He worked with his close friend on my audit who is one of the most respected CPA's in the country and one of the oldest IRS liaison's. Think I'll trust them.

Why that recipe doesn't look biblical to me, Honey. My family follows a biblical eating plan and fermenting grains and sugars is one step away from the devils nectar, alcohol. That will turn a man from God quicker than a squirrel will eat my nuts. I have seen you are real fine on fermenting foods and Dear I worry. I will pray on this and see what I can come up with.

@crabcakes - Yeah, right. Because being gay has so much to do with the EITC and you have to know so much about gay families and auditing to know that it is in fact possible to turn down a tax credit. I think you just don't want to be wrong and will mak up a bunch of random crap to make yourself sound credible.

@Nelly - Your sarcasm is unamusing and highly disrespectful. You don't have to prescribe to someone's beliefs, but you also don't have to undermine them.

Why that comment doesn't look biblical to me, Honey. My family follows a biblical commenting plan and fermenting sarcasm and meaness is one step away from the devils playground, trolling. That will turn a man from God quicker than a cat will roll in catnip. I have seen you are real fine on fermenting sarcasm and Dear I worry. I will pray on this and see what I can come up with.

Hi! My husband & I could have received the EIc for 6 years , when we did not believe in taking it. You can check the box on the tax form that says how much of your refund do you want to receive back or else doate to govt. to pay off debt. It's on there.You check it , they don't send you a dime & if you don't make any more than some of you on yearly incomes , you don't even have to file a federal form , unless you are wanting to get the EIC. Lisa

Hi! I started searching the web for info on Kefir grains& here is a site I came up with http://webpages.charter.net/rhamley/index.htm .She sells the water Kefir grains for $9.50 in the Us postage paid. It's a little more grains than you get from the site you posted , which is the Amazon seller.Her site has articles & patterns on cloth diapering,sourdough & devotions , if you want to read them. It's a very interesting site with lots of good info. Lisa

Milk kefir and water kefir come from different base animals (or organisms)

occasionally people like myself try and bring milk kefir over to water kefir (but not many have been successful) True water kefir may never have touched milk .here are some useful links:on milk kefir :http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.htmlon water kefir:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TibicosGinger Beer Plant (a water kefir that has been used for generations in finger bee , which is not so much beer as lacto fermented soda , but can turn into alky beer given time))r :http://www.fermentedtreasures.com/gingerbp.htmland lastly my latest mad scientist exploration of frugal soda replacements , (because I am a big soda geek) , loacto fermented sodas:http://learningherbs.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/how-to-make-soda-lacto-fermented-soda-culture-making-part-1.html

My race to find a soda replacement has cultured (lol) some good and bad flavors to be sure , but ginger beer and ginger soda have been a stale at my house becuse it works better far better than sprite when people are ill.

Hope you find it helpful. I love trying to find a NATURAL way of making soda by far.

I have no idea what this stuff is or what purpose it serves-except that it looks totally unhealthy and disgusting. Yes, I am well aware that most of our processed food and even whole foods, i.e. meat, starts out in a rather questionable state. But seriously, Emily, let's get real here! I mean, who really wants to see that sitting in a jar in their kitchen, let alone, EAT it?! I like reading about all the strange things you do, however, you are one weird girlie! I kind of feel sorry for your kids, and for people visiting your home. It's one thing to go against the norm, but you may have some deeper issues.

Clisby, no I am not familiar with the substance. What I do know is that this stuff is nasty looking and if I walked into someone's home with it sitting on the counter, I would be a bit uneasy. Sometimes I just don't think Emily is very sanitary.

This sounds interesting. Would this be the same principle as with a sourdough starter or something?

Angie,

I had never heard of kefir either. But I'm sure there are plenty of things I've never heard of, nor tasted. That doesn't make it a bad thing.

What is so horrible about trying new things? People need to know how to do a wide variety of things. They may need those skills to survive one day. All the prepackaged food we buy in the supermarket may no longer be there and if we don't have at least some knowledge of how to make our own food from scratch we won't survive.

Kefir may not be your "cup of tea" and that's fine, but why do you feel the need to say such hurtful things to Emily? Is this how you talk to everyone you personally know, or just Emily and anyone else on the internet?

Sometimes we can get brave hiding behind a computer when we're not face to face with someone and say very mean and hurtful things. But there is no excuse for hurting someone intentionally. Emily is a real person with feelings, just like you. Please remember that and if something she does creeps you out, ignore it and don't make such a hurtful comment.

If you like to argue, why don't you find a political board? This is just a blog about being frugal. I don't understand why it's making some people so upset.

A chest freezer is, hands down, one of the best investments that I've made. I was able to pick up a couple of turkeys at Thanksgiving (organic, free range birds) for $1.25 a pound, and I plan on doing the same with ham when it goes on sale at Christmas. And with corned beef when it goes on sale around St. Patrick's Day...you get the idea. Also, flour keeps a lot better when its kept in the freezer, which allows you to take advantage of occasional good deals on flour. It also lets you freeze vegetables and fruit that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to store.

You really know how to bring out the loons, Emily. It's part of the reason I love your blog so much. =0) No matter what you do, there will always be people who object to the way you try to live your life, or I, mine.

Have you tried fermenting apple juice? It's the most cola like taste I've ever been able to achieve with water kefir. Apparently, that was once the original taste cola was trying to mimic.

Now, when I said I could buy it in my grocery store, I meant the already-made drink. I doubt Publix carries kefir grains. But kefir is not some weird thing Emily dreamed up. I first heard of it (the milk kefir) years ago - a cousin and her husband got hooked on it during a trip somewhere in Europe (Greece? Turkey?) where it's very popular.

Hi Emily,Thanks for such a quick response; I'm sorry but I only know how to use the anon. profile to send and wasn't sure you would get the question. Another question I have: if I need to take a break from using the started kefir how do I keep it viable? I know you can freeze yogurt and liquid friendship starter for quite some time.Can you do this with kefir also? Or is there another way to keep it fresh? Thanks, Carmen

Carmen, I'm pretty sure you can just refridgerate it and it will slow down the fermenting and it should be fine, but I'm not sure. Cultures for Health has a great FAQ section that you might find helpful.